Trade Me is an online marketplace that allows sellers and buyers to meet virtually and transact safely. It is an eCommerce platform that connects the Trade Me community of sellers of unique goods to buyers.
Selling on Trade Me has to do with offering wide-ranging products for sale to the customers who visit Trade Me’s eCommerce platform while the content quality control team reviews sellers’ products list before they go live for sale. The platform has a large number of products in different categories for you to explore.
However, to be a successful seller, you must follow Trade Me’s Terms and Conditions of sales. Therefore in this article, you will learn how to register and successfully list products for sale on Trade Me, and how to describe the items you are selling to make them stand out. how to receive payment for products. Let us begin immediately to show you how to start selling on Trade Me.
Advantages of Trade Me to the Seller and Buyer
- Trade Me, the registration is free for all Sellers. However, each sale you make through the Trade Me e-commerce platform attracts a fee depending on the conveyance method chosen and the type of products. The charges are in different categories, such as shipping cost contribution and commissions
- As a seller, you will make more sales as more potential customers will see your product listed on Trade Me and earn more money from sales.
- For the buyer, you do not have to leave your house to buy any item but buy through a mere click of a button on your computer, or a tap on the phone and receive the goods you ordered on your doorstep.
How to Start Selling on Trade Me
Follow these steps to begin making sales on Trade Me:
1. Create a Trade Me seller account by visiting the website at https://www.trademe.co.nz/ and filling out the registration form.
2. Provide accurate information which includes your correct email address, and telephone number, as well as the details of your business such as your name, the address of your business, and Bank account details.
3. Verify your email. You will be sent an email with the access code to the Trade Me Seller Center for verification and activation of your account.
4. Upload products.
Meanwhile, to start selling, you need to make use of the seller center and understand its capabilities. After registering, you will manage your online store through the Seller Center.
This portal gives you access to the vital information you need to manage your sales, add products, update your product information, see an overview of real transactions, etc.
This portal is a one-stop online market platform to simplify the management of your sales accounts on Trade Me. Here is a list of some things you can do from the Seller’s Page.
- Keep an eye on your inventory and update your listings.
- Track all orders of your products that are in the Trade Me network.
- Use buyer’s metrics tools to monitor your selling performance.
How to Sell on Trade Me Successfully
If you want to start or grow your Trade Me business then keep reading because I am going to explain to you exactly what you need to know to have success with your Trade Me sale page.
1. Know What You Can & Can’t Sell
It’s easy for any person to create a sale page on Trade Me, but before you start listing products, it would be good to know what you can and can’t sell. This will help protect you, your buyer, and the platform from legal issues, especially in the areas of intellectual property. It also helps you understand the best way to arrange your products to make them more visible to potential buyers.
You can easily read through Trade Me’s seller policy from the website. It covers the rights and obligations of Trade Me sellers, including guidelines on what may be sold in each of its categories.
2. Take amazing photos
If you want to sell successfully on Trade Me taking good photos of your items is a must! If there is anyone that you will want to focus on this is what you should start with. I have seen so many Trade Me sellers that are just not making sales because they have bad pictures. Great pictures can quickly grow your business on Trade Me.
They can also help you drive buyers to your Trade Me page from places like Pinterest. I had some pretty amazing shots of the first thing that I ever listed for sale and it only took me a day to get my very first sale!
This is because I uploaded the photo to Pinterest and quickly started driving traffic to my site. Make sure you use a camera that can snap quality photos. If you don’t have one or can’t afford one because you are just getting started then use your phone for now.
You will just want to upgrade as soon as you can. Make sure that you pick a nice clean background for your photos. Then you will want to brighten them up a bit with a photo editor. You don’t want your pictures to be too dark. Have trouble getting the perfect photos? I would suggest looking in your local area and hiring a professional photographer to take some product shots for you.
3. Add Payment Options
A recent study shows that a good number of online shoppers abandon their shopping carts because there are no payment options. It’s important to consider that while Trade Me online shopping is becoming the norm, some potential customers will not like to share their credit card details online, no matter how secure your website is. This issue can be easily prevented by maximizing available payment options for your page.
4. List Your Items
Once your Trade Me sale account is open, it’s time to create item listings. When adding a listing on Trade Me, you will be asked to fill out the following areas for your own online store:
- Title: As with the online store title, you must ensure your listing title contains relevant keywords. Describe your items for sale in the same way customers would search for the products. For instance, instead of saying “cute top,” rather describe it as a “yellow halter neck top with sequins.”
- About the Listing: Here, you have to choose between different options about what the item is, who made it, when it was made, and so on.
- Category: On Trade Me, you can categorize your products. Choose the category and, whenever possible, the subcategory that best fits whatever product you’re listing.
- Quantity and Price: You must specify the details pertaining to the price and number of items for sale. When entering the inventory quantity and price, don’t forget to factor into your sale price all the costs of producing, listing, and promoting your products on Trade Me.
- Product Description: Always include keyword-optimized descriptions when selling online and when you start selling on Trade Me but make sure you use terms that your customers can easily understand.
5. Write a Descriptive “About” Page
Trade Me is more than just a marketplace; it’s also a platform for creatives like you to showcase your art. However, as a seller, you need to let buyers know the value of your creations to convince them to buy. This includes both your technical qualifications and achievements, as well as your inspiration. Your “About” page should focus on the person behind the designs.
Here are some guidelines for creating the ideal “About” page:
- Use a personal tone to easily connect with your reader.
- Talk about the inspiration behind your designs.
- Include links to any publication that features you or your designs
- Introduce any partners you work with to develop your products.
- Keep your paragraphs short.
- Include links to your social media.
6. Create Your Sale Policies
You can create your sales policies specific to your items’ sales in your Policies section. These include:
- Welcome Message: You can use this area to greet customers and include a few details about yourself to give customers a better idea of who you are and why your Trade Me store exists. Don’t forget to include important keywords.
- Shipping Policy: Here, you should explain how you ship, the areas you ship to, and various other details your customers need to gain a better idea of how and when they can expect to receive the items they purchase from you.
- Refund Policy: Your refund policy should detail what you will and won’t do for buyers who want refunds.
- Seller Information: This part identifies your location and contact information, as well as anything else that your customers may want to know about your Trade Me businesses.
7. Engage Your Customers
Engaging your customers before and after sales is the quickest marketing strategy out there. From building a good business reputation to creating a customer service process and engaging in social media, there are a variety of both free and paid methods to boost sales by creating a relationship with your followers. When you get down to it, creativity is the only limiting factor to this strategy, which Trade Me sellers have in leaps and bounds.
So, your first step in a customer engagement strategy is to know your audience and where to find them.
8. Adjust to Market Changes
If you are running any business then get ready to adjust to changes. Change is one of the constants of the Trade Me online business. If you don’t learn to make the best of changes and adapt them to your business then you are not going to be successful. Things like the Trade Me search rankings will change, fee changes, dashboard changes, shipping charges, listing changes, and more.
Don’t look at all these changes as stopping points, instead, look at them as challenges to overcome and adapt to. It will be much less stressful for you if you can learn to accept that changes are just part of having a business. Adapting to change is just part of learning how to sell on Trade Me successfully.
9. Keep Accurate Financial Records
You must keep track of all your financial records so you have a better understanding of where your Trade Me business is headed and whether you’re making a profit or loss. Proper bookkeeping will also help you set targets and make better-informed decisions for maintaining and growing your new business.
10. Give Good Customer Service
Trade Me shoppers are more likely to buy from sellers that give them great service. Provide customers with the option to contact you by email, phone, or chat. Keep your customers happy by replying quickly to any questions and feedback. Make sure to respond favorably to your customers if any problems arise, even if you feel that the issue wasn’t your fault. When on social media, be sure to reply to any comments or inquiries.
Throughout the buyer’s journey, follow up with your customers to ensure that they’re enjoying their purchase. Sending out thank you emails or asking about their shopping experience shows customers your dedication to providing excellent service. Your best marketing efforts will come from happy, satisfied customers that recommend your products to their friends through word-of-mouth marketing tactics.
How to List Item For Sale on Trade Me
Knowing how to process an order is vital if you want to start selling on Trade Me. If a client places an order on one of your items; you have up to 24 hours to have the item ready for shipping.
Follow the simple steps below to do it right:
1. Log into Your Seller Center account every day to see whether you have a new order (You will also receive an email notification whenever the customer wants to make a new purchase for your product).
2. Click on “Orders” then click “Manage Orders. A fresh order should appear under the Orders tab. Follow Trade Me guidelines to prepare (package your order well) the package to be delivered.
3. If you don’t have the item in stock, you can cancel your order by selecting “Canceled” under “Actions.” Make sure you provide an explanation for the reason you want to cancel the order.
How Are Trade Me Orders Processed?
When a buyer adds your product to their shopping cart and checks out, Trade Me processes their order following these steps: Trade Me places the order in Pending status. The quantity available for the listing is subtracted from your quantity in Manage Inventory with a quantity of zero while the order is being processed and Trade Me verifies the order.